2024 UCSF School of Medicine White Coat Ceremony: A Celebration of Commitment and Community
The class of 2028 reads from the Physician's Declaration at this year's White Coat ceremony
On August 11, 2024, the UCSF School of Medicine Class of 2028 took their first steps into medical training at the White Coat Ceremony, held at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco. The event was filled with joy and pride as students, faculty, staff, family, and other loved ones gathered to celebrate this milestone.
Vice Dean for Education Karen Hauer, MD, PhD, opened the ceremony, followed by remarks from Dean Talmadge E. King Jr., MD, who began by acknowledging the significance of the students receiving their white coats. “The white coat you will don today is more than just a garment – it symbolizes the trust society places in you, the commitment you are making to patients, and the dedication to lifelong learning and service,” he said.
The exceptional class of 2028 is already poised to take on this responsibility. One such student is Nickie Yang, who is part of this year’s San Joaquin Valley PRIME cohort. Having grown up in Fresno, California, Nickie intends to use her UCSF education to care for and serve her community, both learning and practicing medicine in the San Joaquin Valley. Her own upbringing has inspired her to care for historically underserved communities, saying, “As a first-generation Hmong woman, my family’s health experiences heavily influenced my interest in medicine. My family were refugees of the Vietnam War and immigrated to the United States in the mid-1990s. Seeing the struggles that my family went through as they learned how to navigate the health care system and learned about the importance of preventive health has inspired me to become a physician who can help underserved communities gain a better understanding and autonomy over their own health.